For the popular band, featuring Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan, see: A Perfect Circle.
Magdalena
Perfect Circle Lyrics
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Moving temple
Overcome by this
Holiest of altars
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar down before your
Holiest of altars
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One chance
One kiss
One taste of you my Magdalena
I bear witness
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
For one chance
One kiss
One taste of you my black Madonna
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One taste
One taste
One taste of you my Magdalena
The lyrics of Perfect Circle's Magdalena speak of a overwhelming desire for a woman, referred to as Magdalena, who is seen as a goddess. The song starts with the singer becoming entranced by Magdalena, who he views as a moving temple, and overwhelmed to the point where he feels like he has lost his self-control. The persona views her as the holiest of altars and wishes to pay homage by throwing a dollar down before her. This act symbolizes the extent of his devotion and admiration for her.
Throughout the song, the singer references the purity and rarity of Magdalena's beauty, sighting her as an earthly goddess - a statement that further demonstrates the extent of his infatuation. He claims to bear witness to the place and prayer that has long been forgotten, another allusion to the worship and reverence of Magdalena. The final lines of the song repeat the singer's desire for one taste of Magdalena, and he would be willing to sell his soul and self-esteem a dollar at a time to achieve it. The song portrays the overwhelming desire and reverence that the singer has for Magdalena and is a reflection of the all-consuming passion that can arise in some relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Overcome by your
Controlled by the mesmerizing presence of the subject
Moving temple
The person being considered as divine and is worshipped
Overcome by this
Being overwhelmed by the experience of witnessing the divine
Holiest of altars
The place where the divine is worshipped
So pure
Innocent and uncorrupted
So rare
Uncommon and unique
To witness such an earthly goddess
To experience the presence of a divine being on the earth
That I've lost my self control
To be so entranced that one loses their ability to resist
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar down before your
To be so overtaken that one feels the need to offer a sacrifice
Holiest of altars
The place where the divine is worshipped
I'd sell
To trade something of value for the experience of the divine
My soul
The essence of my being
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
Sacrificing one's own self-worth for the sake of the divine
One chance
A single opportunity
One kiss
A passionate and intimate encounter
One taste of you my Magdalena
To experience the divine through the senses
I bear witness
To witness and validate the existence of the divine
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
To experience the divine in a forgotten or neglected place
One taste of you my black Madonna
To experience the divine in a dark and mysterious form
One taste
To experience the divine through the senses
One taste
To experience the divine through the senses
One taste of you my Magdalena
To experience the divine through the senses
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NEOpantos
Overcome
By your
Moving temple
Overcome
By this
Holiest of altars
So pure - So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I've lost my self control
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar
Down...
Before your
Holiest of altars
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem
A dollar at a time
For one chance
One kiss - One taste of you
My Magdalena
I bear witness
To this place,
This prayer,
So long forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
For one chance
One kiss
One taste of you
My black Madonna
I'd sell!
My soul!
My self-esteem a dollar at a time!
One taste!
One taste!
One taste of you!
My Magdalena!
<3
@tanyaalfaro1914
Loved this band in high school now I'm 32 and its still the best.....
@rayswifey8710
I'll be 32 in October and you just described me. APC will always be awesome!
@kellywagner8097
I'm 50 and love it.
@nrsrchd
60 and loving it.
@mertmunson1417
33 and parallels are uncanny! And my daughters name is Brena. Was very close to being Magdalena
@jamesespinosa2875
Yeah me too
@tucko11
2:13 gives me chills . The climax of the screaming guitars 🎸
@kfkelly9
1000%
@watermelonshrimp6550
Hah climax
@dreamofmermaids
No other album reaches my soul.....like this one....